Coco Date Balls

I developed this recipe so that my friend who is also on AIP and I could have a treat for Valentines Day. Both of us have been able to add chocolate back into our diet (yea!). Usually the chocolate I eat is not sweet. I eat 95% dark chocolate. These Date Balls were definitely much sweeter than anything that I eat on a regular basis, which is why they were such a treat for Valentines Day. I would recommend a serving size of one.

INGREDIENTS:

12 ounces pitted dates

boiling water

2 TB coco powder

1/2 cup shredded coconut, maybe more

METHOD:

Pour dates into a bowl. Boil enough water to submerge dates. Pour boiling water over the dates and let them sit 10 minutes to soften.

Strain dates and let them sit in colander 10 minutes to dry. Making sure to shake out all the excess water.

Place dried softened dates in a food processor and process until smooth. Add coco powder and cinnamon and process until combined.

Place parchment or wax paper on all baking tray. Pour shredded coconut on a plate beside the baking tray. Roll the date mixture into a ball with your fingers and then roll the ball in the shredded coconut continue until done with the batch. The date mixture will be sticky and the shredded coconut will smooth it out. After rolling in the coconut and making the ball smooth, place it on the baking tray to set. Transfer from tray to covered container. Keep date balls in the fridge for a week or freeze them to keep longer.

Coco Date Covered Cherry Variation:

Add 6 Pitted Cherries to list of ingredients. Take your cherries and roll the date mixture around the cherries. Then roll the cherry stuffed date ball in the coconut to smooth out. Place on tray to set.